Agios Nektarios of Aegina (1846-1920)

• Agios Nektarios of Aegina is one of the best-known Greek Orthodox Saints.

• He was officially recognized as a saint by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1961.

• He wrote, published, preached, and heard confessions from those who came from near and far to seek his spiritual insights.

• In 1920, he died at the age of 74.

• Every year thousands of people from all over the world come to Aegina to visit the tomb of Agios Nektarios, to pray,
  and to ask for his blessing. For many, the monastery Agios Nektarios is one of the main reasons to visit the island of Aegina.
  In fact, the reasons are not only religious. The church visitors are Christian Orthodox,
  but they are actually very interested in seeing this majestic monastery with its rich history.

• You can visit two small chapels on the monastery Holy Trinity grounds and see the old marble tomb where the saint was buried after his death. Many believers can hear the saint’s heartbeat if they put their ear to the tomb and listen. In the small chapel on the left, his remains are kept in a silver box.
  Behind the chapels, you can visit the rooms where he lived. Next to the chapels, you can fill a bottle with holy water to take back home. There are also two shops where you can buy Agios Nektarios souvenirs, books, icons, etc. In the shops, you can ask for a small plastic bottle of oil and a small plastic bottle to fill with the holy water. The oil and the bottles are free of charge.

• Saint Nektarios is a modern saint of the Orthodox Christian Church.
  During his Christian ministry, he was a theologian, hierarch, pastor, and educator.
  Saint Nektarios is considered a miracle worker, as according to witnesses, he performed many miracles during his lifetime.

• The life of the saint was difficult from the beginning, full of hardships and many trials.
  But nothing deterred him, Saint Nektarios, who remained loyal in his faith to the end.
  His vocation to the Word of God and learning led him after a few years to the Theological School, where he excelled.
  The years that followed were difficult and poor, but they brought out all the more the humble and respectful character of Saint Nektarios.

• The saint’s education and charismatic character may have initially turned him toward secular clergy, but he never abandoned his desire for monastic life. So in 1908, he left Rizarios School, where he served as director for 14 continuous years, and settled on the island of Aegina. In an old abandoned monastery in Xantos, he found the place where he wanted to settle until the end of his life. Under the direction of Saint Nektarios, the monastery began to reopen with four new nuns and three older ones who were already monks there.

• The miracles, according to the testimonies, were numerous and remarkable. The locals regarded them as divine signs, and the saint’s grace made the monastery almost immediately famous.
  As a result, believers from all over Greece began to flock to Aegina to support the construction of the monastery
  with their donations and at the same time promote its charitable work.

• Saint Nektarios is the protector of Aegina. Although Saint Nektarios is not the island’s patron saint (it is Saint Dionysius of Zakynthos), the locals actually considered him their patron saint from the first moment.
  His ethos and willingness to give became a point of reference.

• When Agios Nektarios settled on the island, he never stopped working either spiritually for the church and the country or manually despite his advanced age. His work had a pastoral, liturgical, devotional, confessional, and consolatory character.

• The people of Aegina considered Saint Nektarios a living saint.
  The miracles described to this day by the monastery, visitors, faithful friends, priests, and the inhabitants of Aegina are truly mysterious and certainly justify the monastery’s popularity today.
  The monastery Agios Nektarios is an important and sacred place for the people of Aegina.

• Of course, it is worth mentioning that the saint was also declared the patron saint of gymnasts.
  He believed that physical exercise and spiritual development are the two poles around which perfect education revolves.

• The feast day of Saint Nektarios is on November 9th, the day of his death.
  Every year on November 9, a procession is held in honor of the saint and the waterfront of Aegina town.
  The procession is accompanied by the students of the schools of the island.
  On this day, many people flock to the monastery to go on pilgrimage and the town of the island to witness the procession.

• Men and women who bear the names Nektarios and Nektaria celebrate the day of their names on November 9th.
  In addition to November 9, the monastery also celebrates September 3, the Holy Relics Memorial Day from Saint Nektarios.
  On both November 9 and September 3, thousands of faithful gather at the monastery, coming from all parts of Greece.
  After the day of the feast (November 9), the inhabitants of Aegina believe that the island officially enters the winter season.

• THE MONASTERY’S GUESTHOUSE
  Accommodation for one or two nights is offered to the faithful who come from afar to pray.
  The accommodation is best requested by fax.
  It is necessary to indicate the number of guests seeking accommodation and a call-back number FAX.
  Accommodation in the guest house is free of charge because the nuns say:
  “We do not accept money because we are a hospital for the soul, and people come here so we can hear their pain.”

• MONASTERY INFORMATION CONTACT:

  Address: 18010 Kontos, Aegina Island

  +30 22970 53806 (Mother Superior)

  +30 22970 53800 (office)

  +30 22970 53821 (guest house)

  FAX: +30 22970 53998